riches and variety of his knowledge. With the minuteness of a grammarian, the sagacity of a critic, the subtlety of a metaphysician, and the precision of a logician, he combined the eloquence of a rhetorician, the solemnity of a theologian, the profundity of a philosopher, and the gaiety, and the ease, and playfulness of a poet for all these different qualities he may be justly praised: but his principal force was in irony, in which he cannot be surpassed, perhaps, is not equalled. This machine, supported with his more weighty artillery of solid literature, he played off with admirable effect against the follies, the vices, the superstitions, and ignorance of his age: for having translated some of Lucian's Dialogues, he had caught much of his manner, of which his Colloquies, his Praise of Folly, and Letters on Epistolary Writing, are admirable specimens. In his Adagia, written more immediately for the use of the English nation, are deposited great treasures of classical literature. He edited many of the Greek and Latin classics, with some of the Fathers: but his more splendid, elaborate works, are Pliny's Natural History, Aristotle's Works, and an edition of the Greek Testament; and to all of which he has admirable prefaces: the latter was accompanied with a new Latin Translation and Notes. His Commentary, translated into English, was appointed by public authority to be placed in all our churches. In his Treatise on Epistolary Writing, he not only delivers general rules for epistolary composition, but a most rational plan for acquiring the learned languages: hastily sent forth, as it was, it yet reached many important points. In an Epistle to Nicholas Beraldus, he says, it was written in twenty days; and that, in consequence of the treachery of a friend, who published it without his

consent, he gave an edition himself: but had it been the labour of as many weeks, or months, it would have been labour well bestowed".

Erasmus's works make ten volumes in folio, and were edited by Le Clerc : whence it appears, though he was unacquainted with Hebrew, and never acquired a thorough knowledge of the English language, he may be pronounced the greatest genius, and the profoundest scholar, of his age, not less successful, than indefatigable, in his studies. He was an advocate for free-will against predestination. Obnoxious as he was to some of the Reformers, for his book de Servo Arbitrio, against Luther, whom he treated somewhat sharply, still his literary authority was appealed to by all parties. He lived at large, for he would be shackled by no theologues; and while some objected to him his conformity, he knew he had to do with men, though Reformers, who were politicians and conformists in various ways themselves: against their bigotry and intolerance he was as serious as they could be against his temporizing, and love of literary ease. After all, he did more in the cause of real reformation, than any man of his age, and carried its spirit up to some points, where no one durst follow him. But to close all,

a Erasmus's Letter relating to this work is dated Basil, 1522. It is prefixed to the edition, Lugduni, 1536. But there was a much earlier edition printed at Cambridge.

b See John Milton's five Tracts, in his Prose Works. Milton does not except Cranmer, Ridley, nor Latimer from this number. Erasmus's principles went to the root, even to customs and corruptions, which pervaded all nations.

< What is here alluded to may be seen in Erasmus's, Conscribendarum Epistolarum Ratio.

and to say what is immediately to our purpose, in the wise and critical use of ancient manuscripts, in liberalizing our universities, and in breaking the long-riveted shackles of their superstitions and ignorance, by writing, no one did so much as this great man-and as to other

matters

Homo fuit atq. humanus Erasmus.

Edward Crooke, a native of London, succeeded Erasmus, as Greek Professor, and in 1512, as Public Orator. He was first of King's College. In 1523 he became D. D. and, Greek and Latin literature beginning now to be in great request, he was sent in 1530 to Italy and Venice, to search for MSS. and to plead the cause of Harry VIII. at the same time, by examining the decrees of ancient Councils, relative to the question of that king's marriage. He thence proceeded to Padua, Bononia, and other places. Travelling onward to

* I cannot forbear quoting here what a learned writer says of Erasmus, in reference to our universities. Hoc 0πεμlov viri incomparabilis beneficium aurea propemodum aetas (si literas, quæ ab humanitate celebrantur, spectes) secuta est. Linguis enim et optimis artibus, quasi postliminio, restitutis, barbaries ex Europæis Academiis magnâ ex parte profligata est, et ex sacris istis virtutum et doctrinarum Gymnasiis, tanquam Trojano, quod aiunt equo, subito in philologiæ proscenium progressi sunt ingenio, eloquentia, et doctrinæ liberalis ingenuæq. cognitione celeberrimi viri, qui Erasmi, velut EgyodiwxTY exemplo et institutione moti, suam singuli Spartam exornare, doctrinæq. Lampada, non modo in Philologiæ studio aliis præferre, sed etiam studio vigilantiaq. suâ egregie illustratam posteris tradere studuerunt. Grynæi Epist. Nuncupatoria in Erasmi Adagia, &c. Another, while characterizing some of Erasmus's particular works, wracks his invention to illustrate them, not knowing how to panegyrize them enough Budæi Epist. inter Erasmianas, Lib. 2, Epistolarum.

Róme, to gain access to libraries, he endeavoured to become penitentiary priest. His letters sent thence to England are in the Cottonian Library. Crooke used to value himself for never having changed his religion, and said, that changing his religion made Leland go mad. He died much respected by the University, in 1550, and is the author of several pieces, relating to classical literature.

Anthony Wood says, that Greek was first taught at Oxford; a point, indeed, of no great consequenceit was taught at both places, nearly about the same time-but, from a passage in Crooke's Oration to the University of Cambridge, it appears it was first taught there, and Crooke could not be mistaken, having resided a considerable time at Cambridge, and afterwards removing to Oxford.

Other eminent men, of this period, did much, in succession, towards laying a proper foundation for classical literature, particularly Smith, Cheke, Ascham, and Winterton. In settling this, the proper pronunciation of the Greek language was considered the corner-stone: it was, accordingly, made a controversy of prime consideration. The Protestant party, the advocates of the Newe Larninge, aiming to give to every consonant, vowel, and dipthong, a distinct, yet varied sound; the opposers of it making many of the vowels and dip

a Hacket, and Cole's MS. Catal. of King's College, in Cole's MSS. Vol. xiii. in the Brit. Museum.

Athenæ Oxonienses.

The passage is at length in Mr. Cole's MSS. Catalogue, &c. of King's. The Oration is entitled, De Græcarum Disciplinarum Laudibus.

thongs, though of different characters, give the same sound, after the manner of the modern Greeks a.

Sir Thomas Smith had been Fellow of Queen's College, and King's Greek Professor; the favourite of the Duke of Somerset; and, at length, Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth. Sir John Cheke was Fellow of King's, and succeeded Smith in the Greek Professorship. During Mary's reign, Bishop Gardiner being

Thus, for example, the old larning (according to the modern Greek) would pronounce, Ti μoi λɛyɛıç, Kugis (Ty moi legeis, Kurie, as we now pronounce it, after Smith and Cheke) Tiμɛ λɛyiç xigie, that is, Tɛɛ μee legees, Keg; 1, 0, ɛi, U, ɛ, having, according to the old larninge and the modern Greek, the same sound. A fine modern Greek poem, entitled, ο Ξενος με την Ρουμέλην, The Stranger to Roumele (the modern Greek appellative for Greece) may be seen in Voyage de Dimo et Nicolo Stephanopoli en Grece pendant les années, 1797, 1798. R' imprimé a Londres. 1800. Tom. ii. p. 74: and a Grammar of the modern Greek, at the end of Du Cange's Greek Glossary.

Dr. Winterton, in his Notes on Hesiod (particularly on Ver. 2. Lib. 1. oper. & dierum) has shewn, by examples, ex Editione Aldinâ Evangeliorum, A. 1518. et Editione Hesiodi-Trincavelianâ, A. 1537, what' numerous faults have crept into the different texts, first from readers, and afterwards from copyists, who did not properly distinguish the difference of character amidst a sameness of pronunciation.

b Lloyd, in his Statesmen and Favourites of England, p. 160, thus characterizes Cheke and Ascham: "The same day was he and Ascham admitted to Saint John's, and the same week to court; the one to the tuition of Edw. VI. the other of Queen Elizabeth. There they were happy, in their master Metcalf, who, though he could not (as Themistocles said) fiddle, yet he could make a little college a great one, and breed scholars, though he was none: his advice deterred them from the rough learning of the modern schoolmen, and their own genius led them to the more polite studies of the ancient orators and historians; wherein they profited so well, that the one was the copious orator, the ether the Greek Professor of the University."